MacOffice : using the Macintosh for everything

350 Pages·1985·39.044 MB·English

by  Keizer, Gregg

.
~
MacOffice
Inside information, practical applications, and hints
and tips on the Macintosh show you how to use
Microsoft'"" Word, File, Chart, Multiplan and
ill,
Mac Terminal · to turn your office into a more
efficient workplace.
Edited by Gregg Keizer
A COMPUTE! Books Publication $18.95
MacOffice
Using the MacintoshN
for Everything
Edited by Gregg Keizer
22~~~!![~ublications,lnc.e
Greensboro, North Carolina
Copyright 1985, COMPUTE! Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by Sections 107
and 108 of the United States Copyright Act without the permission of the copyright owner
is unlawful.
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN 0-87455-006-8
The authors and publisher have made every effort in the preparation of this book to insure the accuracy
of the information. However, the information in this book is sold without warranty, either express or
implied. Neither the authors nor COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., will be liable for any damages caused or
alleged to be caused directly, indirectly, incidentally, or consequentially by the information in this book.
The opinions expressed in this book are solely those of the authors and are not necessarily those of
COMPUTE! Publications, Inc.
COMPUTE! Publications, Inc., Post Office Box 5406, Greensboro, NC 27403, (919) 275-
9809, is one of the ABC Publishing Companies and is not associated with any manufac
turer of personal computers. Apple and Apple II are registered trademarks, and
ImageWriter, LaserWriter, Lisa, Macintosh, Macintosh XL, MacPaint, MacTerminal, and
MacWrite are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft Chart, Microsoft File,
Multiplan, and Microsoft Word are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
(0
co
Contents
~
0
(.0
::J
<(
Cl
LLJ Introducing MacOffice
>
Gregg Keizer . . . . . . . . . .. ... .... ... .... ... .... v
L.U
u 1. The MacOffice for Everyone
UJ Charles Brannon ... . . .. . . ..... .. ..... . .. .. .. 3
a::
2. The MacOffice Software
Selby Bateman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3. Producing Form Letters with Microsoft Word
Arion R. Levitan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
4. Keeping Customer and Client Lists with File
Sharon Zardetto Aker .... ............ . ....... . . 111
5. Merging with Word
Sharon Zardetto Aker .... ......... ............. 145
6. Accounting with Multiplan
Dan McNeill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
7. Reporting in Pictures: Using Chart
Charles Brannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
8. Sharing with MacTerminal
Arion R. Levitan .. .. ... .. . ... .... .... ... .. .. .. . 237
9. The Complete MacOffice
Vahe Guzelimian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
10 . Beyond MacOffice-Networking
Paul Freiberger and Dan McNeill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 313
11. Macintosh Utilities
Sharon Zardetto Aker .... ... ........... .... .. .. 337
The MacOffice Authors . .. . . ... .. ..... ..... ....... . 353
Index ... .. ... .. ... .... .. . .... .. .................. 355
Introducing MacOffice
Gregg Keizer
The Macintosh, Apple's relative newcomer to the field of personal
computers, is changing the ways we work with and think about
computing. Its easy-to-use operating environment, dazzling graph
ics, and growing software base help make the Macintosh effective
as an educational tool, a home entertainment device, and a pro
grammer's playground. But as thousands of new and experienced
computer users are discovering, the Macintosh is also custom
made for business.
This idea, that the Macintosh is a superior business computer,
initially caught some people by surprise. IBM, after all, has con
quered the business world forever. Right? And a computer as easy
to use and as powerful as the Macintosh can't really be effective
in a traditional office setting. Correct?
Wrong on both counts. Since Apple guided the Macintosh
into the business arena, surprising things have been happening.
Calling the package the Maci'ntosh Office, even going so far as to
trademark the phrase, Apple has targeted the Mac at companies
both large and small, from the Fortune 1000 to the Mom-and-Pop
retail store down the street. Even more attractive, Apple has pro
duced a network system, called AppleTalk, and a powerful laser
printer, the LaserWriter, to add shared peripherals and close-to
typeset-quality printing to the office. Third-party software and
hardware developers have swarmed to the Macintosh Office,
offering hard drives, file servers, and other products to enhance
the final Macintosh business environment.
MacOffice: Using the Macintosh for Everything explores the
power and the promise of Apple's revolutionary computer. What
you'll find here are practical uses of the machine and of some of
its most popular software. Actual demonstrations of the Mac
intosh's business capabilities show you just what you can do with
the computer. If you already have a Macintosh, you can get to
work immediately. And if you haven't bought a Macintosh yet,
MacOffice can give you an idea of what it will do for your office.
v
Introduction
Half a Million Sold
By the beginning of 1985, somewhere between 250,000 and
350,000 Macintoshes had been sold (the numbers obviously vary
according to whom you talk to). The Macintosh is still selling
briskly. During the first quarter of 1985, for instance, a computer
trade weekly reported that the Macintosh accounted for 20 per
cent of all specialty computer store sales. That's a larger percent
age than any one IBM PC model (though not quite as large as the
IBM PC line taken as a whole). It's safe to assume, if sales remain
constant, that over half a million Macintosh computers will be on
desks when 1986 rolls around.
Apple aims for 10,000 AppleTalk connection~ by the end of
1985. AppleTalk connections point at the acceptance of the Mac
intosh Office concept. And it appears that this goal may well be
met. At the time of this writing Oune 1985), more than 2500
LaserWriters, Apple's main hardware contribution to the Mac
intosh Office idea, had been placed.
But you don't need ten Macintoshes, a LaserWriter or two,
and lengths of AppleTalk's cable to use the machine as an office
computer. Not every business is going to require that kind of
setup. Small businesses, particularly, may use only one or two
Macs. MacOffice: Using the Macintosh for Everything is written for
these businesses as well.
What Tells What
All the hardware in the world won't do a thing for you unless
you have the software, or programs, to tell it what to do. Software
is the most crucial component of a computer system. Without the
right software, your computer may not be able to do exactly what
you had planned, or if it can, it may do it poorly. It may look
sexy, but the Macintosh can't help you manage your business
without software.
That's where the Mac excels. In the year and a half since its
release, the Macintosh has seen some very impressive software
debut. The programs bundled with the machine, MacWrite and
· MacPaint, were powerful in their own right. But third-party devel
opers have released spreadsheets, databases, word processers,
terminal programs, and graphics packages which use the Mac
intosh's unique operating system to its fullest extent.
MacOffice: Using the Macintosh for Everything concentrates on
five Macintosh programs: Four are Microsoft products-Word, File,
Chart, and Multiplan-and the fifth is Apple's own MacTerminal.
vi
Introduction
These five weren't selected solely because of their abilities, though
they are among the best available in their specialties. Their accep
tance and popularity also had something to do with it. Microsoft's
packages constantly show up on software best-seller lists.
MacTerminal was the first commercially produced terminal pro
gram for the Mac (there were several public domain terminal pro
grams available prior to MacTerminal's release).
It does no good to show you how to use your Macintosh, es
pecially if you already have the machine and some of its software,
if the descriptions are culled from programs you don't have or
aren't likely to buy. You're more likely to have or buy Multiplan
than any other Macintosh spreadsheet. Word, though not part of
the Macintosh package, is the most popular third-party Mac word
processor on the market. The other software used in MacOffice
follow these criteria.
But What Can This Book Do for Me?
MacOffice: Using the Macintosh for Everything is an anthology
showing what seven different Macintosh users and authors have
done with their computers and the various software packages.
These authors know the Macintosh-they've worked with the ma
chine and they know what it can and cannot do. Each author has
explored a particular program, or a combination of programs, and
used it to accomplish a very specific task. Using Word to create ·
form letters~ Adding graphs to reports or other documents with
Chart. Accessing other Macintoshes and other computers using
MacTerminal.
The applications, and that is what this book is all about, are
practical and can be used immediately in your own business. The
Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and Balance Sheet tem
plates created with Multiplan in Chapter 6, for instance, could be
entered and used as is. The information concerning the AppleTalk
network and the LaserWriter can prove helpful as you create your
own network, or as you try to decide if a network will prove ~alu­
able in your office.
Many chapters include step-by-step instructions detailing how
you can use a program, Multiplan, for example, to create these
applications. Figures and text walk you through the process,
showing you just what happens at almost every step. By reading
MacOffice, with your Macintosh in front of you, you can end up
with an impressive collection of Macintosh capabilities.
vii
Introduction
But there's more to MacOffice than just a collection of applica
tions. Within each chapter, countless hints, tips, and techniques
are discussed. Some are obvious, but perhaps overlooked in your
eagerness to get started with the machine and its software. Others
are more advanced and show you things that no manual can.
More important, these practical examples will give you ideas.
Perhaps you don't need a client list, as shown in Chapter 4, one
of the chapters which concentrates on File. But Chapter 4 will
show you how to use File most efficiently. You'll see ways to sort
information in the File documents you create, and you'll find out
how to create a variety of different File reports. Within a short
time, especially if you produce the sample applications as you
read, you'll be able to apply the information to whatever task you
need. All the chapters are like this. Not only are there applica
tions and documentation, but the simple process of showing how
one thing can be done will invariably lead you to see another.
Learning by example is one of the main concepts behind this
anthology.
Information Everywhere
Not everything in MacOffice is concerned directly with business.
Other sections provide you with information about your Mac
intosh and its operating system. How to manage your disk files,
how to use valuable disk space most efficiently, what to consider
if you're thinking about upgrading your 128K Macintosh to the
optimum 512K Fat Mac (or adding even more memory-see
Chapter 9 for details on adding up to two megabytes of RAM).
The last chapter in MacO!fice discusses and evaluates several Mac
intosh utilities that will make your work easier, sometimes even
make formerly impossible tasks possible. Almost everything you
need to get started with the Macintosh in your office is here, in
one place.
lt•s Just a Computer
The Macintosh can be an effective, powerful office tool. But
remember, that's all it is-a tool. It can make your office more ef
ficient, but it can't make your business decisions for you. Some
people believe that simply buying a personal computer will solve
every problem. Unfortunately, not true. MacO!fice is realistic. It
doesn't try to tell you how to run your office-it only shows you
how to get the best use from the computer and selected software.
The rest is up to you.
viii
Introduction
The Pictures
Almost all the figures included in this book were generated on the Macintosh,
then uploaded via modem to COMPUTE! Publications' Atex editorial/typesetting
system· and typeset on an Autologics APS-Micro 5 typesetter. Thanks go to Tony
Roberts, Production Director, and Charles Brannon, Program Editor, of COM
PUTE! P-ublications, for creating this capability.
ix